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Single Idea 23116
[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 4. Citizenship
]
Full Idea
It is much easier to be a good citizen than it is to be a good parent.
Gist of Idea
Citizenship is easier than parenthood
Source
John Kekes (Against Liberalism [1997], 09.4)
Book Ref
Kekes,John: 'Against Liberalism' [Cornell 1997], p.194
A Reaction
A nice observation. It is shocking how many people are bad citizens, given the limited demands. I think philosophers have some responsibility for beliefs and values which people bring to their citizenship. Parents need communal support.
The
38 ideas
from 'Against Liberalism'
23079
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Liberal justice ignores desert, which is the essence of justice
[Kekes]
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23083
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Liberal welfare focuses on need rather than desert
[Kekes]
|
23081
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Liberal basics are pluralism, freedom, rights, equality, and distributive justice - for autonomy
[Kekes]
|
23082
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Liberal distribution cares more about recipients than donors
[Kekes]
|
23084
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Are egalitarians too coercive, or not egalitarian enough, or lax over morality?
[Kekes]
|
23085
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The key liberal values are explained by the one core value, which is autonomy
[Kekes]
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23086
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Liberals say we are only responsible for fully autonomous actions
[Kekes]
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23087
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Much human evil is not autonomous, so moral responsibility need not be autonomous
[Kekes]
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23088
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Evil is not deviation from the good, any more than good is a deviation from evil
[Kekes]
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23089
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Evil people may not be autonomously aware, if they misjudge the situation
[Kekes]
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23090
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Liberals assume people are naturally free, equal, rational, and morally good
[Kekes]
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23091
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Why do liberals not see a much wider range of values as basic?
[Kekes]
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23092
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Agents have little control over the capacities needed for liberal autonomy
[Kekes]
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23093
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Moral and causal responsibility are not clearly distinct
[Kekes]
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23096
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Morality should aim to prevent all evil actions, not just autonomous ones
[Kekes]
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23094
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Ought implies can means moral responsibility needs autonomy
[Kekes]
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23095
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Why should moral responsibility depend on autonomy, rather than social role or experience?
[Kekes]
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23097
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What matters for morality is the effects of action, not the psychological causes
[Kekes]
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23098
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Effects show the existence of moral responsibility, and mental states show the degree
[Kekes]
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23099
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It is said that if an agent is not autonomous then their evil actions don't reflect on their character
[Kekes]
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23100
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Collective responsibility conflicts with responsibility's requirement of authonomy
[Kekes]
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23101
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Intuitions don't prove things; they just receptivity to interpretations
[Kekes]
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23103
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Power is meant to be confined to representatives, and subsequent delegation
[Kekes]
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23102
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Liberals are egalitarians, but in varying degrees
[Kekes]
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23105
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It is not deplorable that billionaires have more than millionaires
[Kekes]
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23106
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To rectify the undeserved equality, we should give men longer and women shorter lives
[Kekes]
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23107
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Prosperity is a higher social virtue than justice
[Kekes]
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23108
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Justice combines consistency and desert; treat likes alike, judging likeness by desert
[Kekes]
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23109
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The veil of ignorance is only needed because people have bad motivations
[Kekes]
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23112
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Liberals ignore contingency, and think people are good and equal, and institutions cause evil
[Kekes]
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23113
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Sexual morality doesn't require monogamy, but it needs a group of sensible regulations
[Kekes]
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23114
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The chief function of the state is to arbitrate between contending visions of the good life
[Kekes]
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23116
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Citizenship is easier than parenthood
[Kekes]
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23117
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Love should be partial, and discriminate in favour of its object
[Kekes]
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23118
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Awareness of others' suffering doesn't create an obligation to help
[Kekes]
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23119
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Sentimental love distorts its object
[Kekes]
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23120
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The problem is basic insufficiency of resources, not their inequality
[Kekes]
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23121
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It is just a fact that some people are morally better than others
[Kekes]
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